


Family Ties

by Rachaelizame



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age II
Genre: All the moderns in Thedas, Gen, Modern Boy in Thedas, Modern Character in Thedas, Modern Girl in Thedas, shameless OC garbage
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-10
Updated: 2018-07-06
Packaged: 2019-03-29 12:21:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,609
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13927059
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rachaelizame/pseuds/Rachaelizame
Summary: The dreams had been in them since they were little, dreams of where they came from. They just didn’t know it yet.Or, when a bunch of kids show up in Hightown one day, everything goes to shit in a hurry.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah, the blood test thing is contrived, but I couldn’t find any other way to ,make this work, soooo....

The dreams had been there since she was little, she knew. As she grew older, they twisted and changed, turning different and strange. But always they were recognizable. A world of magic and monsters.

She just didn’t expect to be dragged into that world one day.

-

The explosion was small, all things considered, and the rift it left, though witnessing would later describe it as similar to ones to come, closed on its own. It was what was left behind that was strange.

People. Strangely dressed people of a variety of ages, though all young. None were older than thirty. All were unconscious. A ghost-like figure rested in front of them, smiling gently at the guards rushing to their position. A red-headed woman led them toward the group, sword at the ready. When she reached the ghost, she was handed a - corporeal - piece of paper. She peers down at it, face going blank in confusion, then shock.

“Someone! Get me Hawke! And a mage!”

-

By the time Esobel Hawke arrived, the Circle Mage had come and read the note as well. The mage appeared quite disturbed by the “ghost” and the way he could tell it kept the others unconscious. He did express skepticism at the words contained in the note however.

“Esa.” Aveline greeted Hawke. She frowned. Aveline never called her by the nickname most everyone else used except when things were serious. Aveline handed her the sheet of paper. Esobel frowned and read it, laughing when she finished.

“Aveline. You don’t genuinely believe this?”

“I believe something is happening and we need to investigate. That’s why I called for a mage. A Circle mage, someone we can trust to be neutral.”

“Ooh you want him to examine my blood? He won’t like that.”

“No. But it’s not actually blood magic, just comparison, isn’t that what they always say? So he has no excuse not to. Come on Hawke, surely you’re at least curious why someone would claim this.”

“Well. Suppose it wouldn’t hurt to test. If it will get your knickers unbunched.”

Hawke walked over to the Circle Mage, slicing into her arm and pouring some blood on the ground.

“And where’s this Beatrice? Need a sample from her as well.” The ghost floated over to a dark-haired young woman who appeared in her late teens, gesturing down at her. Aveline lifted her arm, and Hawke cut into it, spilling blood on the ground.

“I’d like it stated I’m against this.” The mage began heatedly, but cut off when Hawke waved him off.

“It’s not actual blood magic. It’s magic that looks at blood. Quite a difference.” The mage scowled but quieted, and began the identification spell. If the two bloods were a match, they would drain towards each other and glow where they touched. If not, they would remain inert and unaffected.

As the bloods trickled closer everyone, even those who didn’t know what was at stake, held their breath. When a glow appeared out of the commingled blood, Hawke turned deadly pale and stared in shock at the girl.

“Well. Esobel Hawke, meet your daughter.”

“We’re going to the Circle. Now.”

-

Arriving at the Gallows, the group of Hawke and Varric was hushed. Varric, of course, had no idea what was happening, simply that Hawke was spitting mad and in shock.

Hawke stormed into the Circle, slamming the sheet of paper down on Orsino’s desk.

“How is this possible?” She demanded. The enchanter frowned, puzzled, and peered at the paper. He looked more and more intrigued as he read it, finally looking up at the Champion in bewilderment.

“My mage has confirmed it?”

“Yes, he’s bloody well confirmed it. Unless he’s involved somehow. And…” Hawke stopped there. Even if the random mage retrieved from the Circle had been involved in some way, there was no faking the magic that she knew of.

“Well. There is much we don’t know about the composition of the world around us. Many mages and scholars have theorized there is somewhere that is not this world and not the Fade. Theoretically, it’s possible for it to be some kind of alternate world as this letter claims.”

“Theoretically! I don’t give a damn about theory. I want to know how someone could do this to me!”

“Well, Champion. You are hardly cautious with your blood. It wouldn’t be difficult to get a sample just by wounding you in battle.”

“Not what I meant.”

“Well. Since that world would be beyond ours, there is no telling what kind of magic or even technology they could have.”

“But have you ever heard of magic like this? I haven’t.”

“To be frank, yes I have. It’s wild, forbidden magic, of course, blood magic. But it exists.”

“But she’s a teenager!”

“As to that, I have no explanation, but only two theories. One is that, for all we know, time passes differently in this supposed world beyond ours. And the other is that magic to influence time has been attempted, though never mastered as far as I know.”

“You’re no help.” Hawke grumbled, but she seemed to be coming to terms with the declaration from before. “I’m going back to the ghost.”

Varric furrowed his brow and followed her out.

-

“Hawke! What is going on? You grabbed me from the Hanged Man and dragged me out here, and for what? Some conversation that makes no sense. What’s this all about?”

“Someone, likely someone with magic, made a bunch of kids appear in the Hightown market. There’s a ghost with them and the ghost gave me this paper. It claims these kids came from an alternate world and ended up here for some reason.” Hawke took a deep breath before continuing. “And it claims one of ‘em’s mine. Magic agrees.”

“That’s a hell of a story. But so are all my yarns and we know how those came to be.”

“Yeah. By being based in truth!”

“I meant exaggerated beyond words, but sure.”

A long moment passed in silence as Hawke stalked forward. Varric trailed behind, finally calling out to Hawke.

“Slow down, will you? Short legs.” Hawke sighed, running a hand through her hair.

“Sorry. Sorry. I’m not… I don’t have an explanation for this.”

“We don’t get explanations for a lot of things. Doesn’t usually bother you.”

“Yeah, but this time the ‘thing’ is someone supposedly using blood magic to make me a mother to children!”

“Children? Thought you said one of them was yours.”

“No. One of them’s been tested. The letter says three of them exist.” Hawke groaned. “What am I supposed to do with three kids?”

“Hawke. Calm down. You don’t even know this ghost thing’s telling the truth.”

“Then why did the magic say we were mother and daughter, huh? There’s no faking that test, Anders does it to reunite refugee families and he says it’s foolproof!”

“Hawke, foolproof doesn’t mean it can’t be faked. Talk to him again. Figure it out. You always do.”

“Right. Talk to Anders.”

-

Hawke stormed into Darktown, glaring at everyone. She made her way to Ander’s clinic and threw open the door.

“Anders! I need your help.”

“Hawke? I’m a bit busy at the moment-“

“Nope. You’re coming with me. This is urgent.”

“What’s going on?” Anders asked, but he began to come with them regardless.

“Someone’s brought these kids into Hightown, using magic, and is claiming they were made using some blood magic ritual. Supposedly they’ve been brought from somewhere beyond the Fade but their parents are from Thedas.”

“Don’t leave out the important part now, Hawke.” Varric interrupted.

“I was getting to it. More to the point, it claims I’m one of the parents to a coupe of them.”

Anders looked pale in shock, but he rallied valiantly.

“Well. In theory, it is possible if unlikely-”

“I know that! I talked to Orsino. I want to know if it’s possible to fake a blood test.”

“No. As far as I know, it’s not possible without casting several simultaneous spells, which one person couldn’t do and more couldn’t join without being noticed.”

“Great. Just great.” Hawke grumbled. “Come on. We need to test them all. And we’re stopping by Viscount’s Keep. There’s someone there who needs to know about this too.”

-

Meanwhile, Aveline asked the ghost to rouse one of the children for questioning. The ghost acquiesced and woke the eldest there, a man in his mid-twenties with messy brown hair. He woke with a groan, and Aveline helped him sit up. As he looked around, his eyes went wide.

“Sorry, where am I? Some sort of medieval village? I don’t remember coming here.” Then he caught sight of the ghost.

“Mom?” He demanded. “Why are you a ghost? Ghosts aren’t real, and you’re not dead.”

The ghost spoke for the first time.

“My son, it’s time you knew the truth. It’s been time for a while now, I’ve just not wanted to put you through this. You don’t belong to my world. You’ve grown up there, but your true place of origin is here.”

“And where’s here?”

“Thedas. It’s a lovely place, if chaotic. A magical place.” The ghost looked around then began speaking in a low voice, unable to be made out by anyone except the young man. He looked more and more confused as she spoke.

“Wait, Mom… what does this all mean?”

“It means you need to spend some time here. Don’t worry, your family will be by your side.”

The man turned back to Aveline.

“I suppose you have some questions?” He said wryly.


	2. Chapter 2

Hawke stormed into Viscount’s Keep roaring mad. She stalked through the building until she found who she was looking for and sighed, realizing speaking angrily and grabbing the man’s arm would do no good here, no matter that it was the reaction she was longing to do.

“King Alistair, I have something that urgently needs your attention.” She began. She’d just met the man today, and now she was going to give him life-changing news.

“Yes, Hawke?” He furrowed his brows in confusion. Hawke simply handed over the paper.

Alistair looked more and more confused as he read the note, until he reached the end and paled.

“Me and Elissa? But. We’re not even together.”

“Yeah? Lucky you. How do you think my boyfriend’s gonna react to finding out we’re parents to three? Not exactly what he was hoping for when he started this. Maker, I’ll be lucky if he doesn’t run screaming.”

“But we’re not together.” Alistair seems stuck on this point, and after a moment Hawke realizes why.

“Oh. They’re bastards. Well. Good luck explaining this to your citizens.” Alistair gives her a look and sighs.

“Thanks.” And Hawke would normally be just delighted at the sass and personality in that word- from a country’s leader no less- but right now she’s a little focused on everything else.

“Well c’mon. Note says they won’t wake until a parent of each is around. And we’ve still got one more stop to make.”

-

“Cullen!” Hawke yelled as soon as she entered the Gallows.

“Well, Champion. I hear you’ve been making a stir. Apparently you have a daughter. Who’s a teenager.”

Hawke, annoyed, shouts back. “You’ve got one too! Well, not a teenager, she’s like, ten.” Cullen, understandably blanched.

“What are you talking about?”

“The maker-be-damned person who did this to me? Did it to you too I’m afraid!” And isn’t that look on his face almost worth this whole endeavor? “With someone called Evelyn Trevelyan.”

“I don’t know anyone by that name.”

“I say again, lucky you.”

Cullen murmurs “again?” But consents to follow them.

-

As they are heading back to Hightown, Aveline greets them, seeming a little flustered at delivering this news to the King of Ferelden.

“King Theirin. Hawke. Cullen. We’ve moved the… the children. It seemed prudent to do so rather than leaving them lying in the street. We took them to your house, Hawke.”

“Great.” Hawke spoke, her usual attitude rattled.

They followed Aveline in awkward silence until they arrived at Hawke’s doorway. Aveline led them inside and they found the children settled on mats in the main room. Hawke caught a quick glimpse of Anders hovering over them.

As soon as they entered, the children began to stir. All appeared quite confused about where they were before the ghost appeared. She made some sort of barrier appear around all but the eldest man, Aveline, and Anders and began to speak. They could see some commotion going on in the room, but could not hear anything.

“So Mom. That is, the woman who raised me, who I do and will consider my mom for the foreseeable future, told me everything that’s in that note, and probably more than she told you. She likes to confuse people. So any questions? Can’t guarantee I’ll be able to answer them, but I’ll give it my best attempt.”

“What’s your name?” Cullen began.

“Oh, now you’re just getting too personal.” The man cracked a smile and all of a sudden everyone knew whose son he was.

“I’m Nickolas. Call me Nick.”

“You’re my son.” Alistair spoke, knowing it with certainty. It helped that the letter had mentioned the names of his three children, but he would have known it regardless.

“Oh. Uh. That’s, that’s weird. You’re like, not even thirty.”

“No. I, I’m sorry.” For Alistair had begun to look on the verge of tears. “I never expected to see a child of mine, well, at all. Let alone grown to adulthood.” Anders winced in sympathy, having much the same fears for many of the same reasons.

“Oh.” Nick’s eyes softened. “Sorry. Is it… do you mind if I ask?”

“No, but maybe later. It’s complicated.”

“Well. I’ll introduce you to everyone.”

“That would be appreciated,” Anders was left to say, as the three new parents were all frozen at the prospect of seeing those who were their children.

“There’s Anna and Sierra. They’re the twins. Nineteen.” Hawke startled at the introduction of her other children. “We were raised as cousins and siblings, most of us, though apparently, we aren’t.”

Anna was raging at the ghost, while Sierra held her back and Hawke was all of a sudden reminded of her and Anders at the sight of it. She supposed it made sense. They were their parents. Anna and Sierra appeared almost identical, but Sierra had blond hair where Anna had dark.”

“Next oldest is Lukas. My… brother apparently, but I’ve always known him as my cousin. He’s seventeen.”

Lukas had dark hair and eyes and his father’s tan skin. Other than the skin tone, he resembled Elissa Cousland to a tee. He was seated on the floor, sheltering the youngest of the group.

“He’s holding Lia. She’s eight years old. And judging by the way you just startled out of your shirt,” Nick gestured to Cullen, “she’s yours.”

“Oldest after Lukas is Beatrice, or Bea. She’s fourteen.” Bea was watching the proceedings with a cautious look in her eyes.

“Then there’s Aaron, he’s thirteen.” Alistair startled again.

“And finally, Ruby. She’s eleven.” Ruby was an adorable blond with blue eyes and the puzzled look on her face made her all the more endearing to Cullen.”

Anders, intent on making polite conversation, spoke again when the silence got to be too awkward. Of course, because it was Anders, he asked about a topic never far from his mind, magic.

“Is there a history of magic in your family? Obviously no on here, but-” he was cut off as Nick blurted out a response.

“Magic? Are you kidding me? Oh, God was she being literal?”


End file.
